Early Music

The Peabody Conservatory continues to expand its offerings in the historical performance of music before 1800. The early music program provides instruction and performance opportunities in medieval, renaissance, baroque, and early classical music. Students play on period instruments and develop vocal techniques compatible with early performance practices. Our accomplished faculty brings a wealth of performing and teaching experience to developing artists.

Graduates of Peabody’s early music program have gone on to win prizes at international competitions, earn Fulbright and Beebe scholarships, and graduate from European conservatories with high honors. Peabody graduates have performed with Apollo’s Fire, the Baltimore Consort, Hesperus, Les Arts Florissants, the New York Collegium, the Waverly Consort, the Folger Consort, the Washington Bach Consort, and Tempesta di Mare.

Performance Opportunities

Students have ample opportunity for performing both as soloists and in ensembles at Peabody and throughout the Baltimore/Washington area.

Baroque: The Baltimore Baroque Band is a Baroque orchestra, the Baroque Ensemble is comprised of smaller ensembles which are coached weekly in historical performance practice. Early music students also participate in early opera productions.

Renaissance: The Peabody Renaissance Ensemble performs 15th- through early 17th-century vocal and instrumental music from England, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The Peabody Recorder Consort performs on a matched set of Renaissance recorders made by Adriana Breukink. The Peabody Consort of Viols performs repertory from 17th-century England written for two to six violas da gamba.

The Peabody Consort is a mixed consort of selected early music majors focusing on repertoire emanating from Thomas Morley's Lessons for Broken Consort.

Master Classes

Leading figures in early music have performed and given master classes at Peabody. Ensembles include the Baltimore Consort, the Kings Noyse and the Smithsonian Chamber Players. Soloists include Jordi Savall, Anner Bylsma, Jaap Schroeder, Han Tol, James Caldwell, Stephen Hammer, Stanley Ritchie, Ellen Hargis, Catherine Turocy, Marilyn McDonald, Lowell Greer, Drew Minter, and Andrew Lawrence-King.